About The Show:
Find out what it's like to be a minority within a minority. This documentary takes an in-depth look into the lives of gay Hispanics, a culture engrained in religion and machismo. Part of Logo's Real Momentum documentary series.
Marisol
"I have no idea how I'm gonna come out to my mom. I'm just really nervous. What will my mom say? What will she think? What will she feel?"
- Marisol, 19, Los Angeles
Click here to send Marisol an email.
Family support can help you feel comfortable with your sexual identity. Support from the family you grew up with, or a family you've formed on your own, is key to your understanding. Connecting with other Lesbians, especially other Latinos, can help you to share similar experiences and feel connected.
Coming out to family and friends can be a struggle. If you are having trouble finding the right words, deciding when to tell your family and even figuring out if you are ready, talking to a professional can help. Marisol visited the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and spoke with a counselor about coming out to her mother. To find an LGBT community center and support services in your area visit the National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centers.
Want to talk? The National Gay & Lesbian Youth Hotline: 1-800-347-TEEN (1-800-347-8336) is a confidential, anonymous national hotline for LGBTQ youth staffed by trained peer counselors. Call 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Saturday.
If someone you love is gay and you'd like to help, contact your local Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) chapter.
Gustavo
"I was not one hundred percent sure, that I was safe, you know...the worry stays there in the back of your mind. That's why testing is good."
- Gustavo, 22, Miami
Click here to send Gustavo an email.
To build trust and respect in your relationship, talk with your partner. Discuss your sexual history and how you want to protect each other.
If you are a man who has sex with other men or a woman who has sex with other women, try to find a doctor who understands your particular health needs. Women should use a barrier, such as latex gloves or a dental dam, when having oral, vaginal or anal sex. Men should use a latex or polyurethane condom for oral or anal sex. These barriers (latex gloves, dental dams and condoms) reduce contact with your partner's bodily fluids, which reduces your risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Talk with a health care provider and get tested for HIV and other STD's to protect your health and the health of your partners. It's an opportunity to receive counseling and information about how to stay healthy -- regardless of what the test results are. Tests are inexpensive or even free, and you can get the results in as little as 15 minutes.
For more sexual health information call 1-888-BE-SAFE or to find a testing site near you visit: www.hivtest.org.
Jesse
"Being gay does not define everything that there is to know about me. I'm proud of who and what I am, and that includes the fact that I'm gay."
- Jesse, 24, Las Vegas, NM
Click here to send Jesse an email.
Being gay and Latino has challenges all its own. The traditional male and female roles of the Latino community make it tough for gay men and women to feel welcome. Plus they may experience social isolation, discrimination and hostility.
Jesse hopes to break stereotypes on his New Mexico college campus by running as the first openly gay student government candidate.
Marisol
"I have no idea how I'm gonna come out to my mom. I'm just really nervous. What will my mom say? What will she think? What will she feel?"
- Marisol, 19, Los Angeles
Click here to send Marisol an email.
Family support can help you feel comfortable with your sexual identity. Support from the family you grew up with, or a family you've formed on your own, is key to your understanding. Connecting with other Lesbians, especially other Latinos, can help you to share similar experiences and feel connected.
Coming out to family and friends can be a struggle. If you are having trouble finding the right words, deciding when to tell your family and even figuring out if you are ready, talking to a professional can help. Marisol visited the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and spoke with a counselor about coming out to her mother. To find an LGBT community center and support services in your area visit the National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centers.
Want to talk? The National Gay & Lesbian Youth Hotline: 1-800-347-TEEN (1-800-347-8336) is a confidential, anonymous national hotline for LGBTQ youth staffed by trained peer counselors. Call 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Saturday.
If someone you love is gay and you'd like to help, contact your local Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) chapter.
Gustavo
"I was not one hundred percent sure, that I was safe, you know...the worry stays there in the back of your mind. That's why testing is good."
- Gustavo, 22, Miami
Click here to send Gustavo an email.
To build trust and respect in your relationship, talk with your partner. Discuss your sexual history and how you want to protect each other.
If you are a man who has sex with other men or a woman who has sex with other women, try to find a doctor who understands your particular health needs. Women should use a barrier, such as latex gloves or a dental dam, when having oral, vaginal or anal sex. Men should use a latex or polyurethane condom for oral or anal sex. These barriers (latex gloves, dental dams and condoms) reduce contact with your partner's bodily fluids, which reduces your risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Talk with a health care provider and get tested for HIV and other STD's to protect your health and the health of your partners. It's an opportunity to receive counseling and information about how to stay healthy -- regardless of what the test results are. Tests are inexpensive or even free, and you can get the results in as little as 15 minutes.
For more sexual health information call 1-888-BE-SAFE or to find a testing site near you visit: www.hivtest.org.
Jesse
"Being gay does not define everything that there is to know about me. I'm proud of who and what I am, and that includes the fact that I'm gay."
- Jesse, 24, Las Vegas, NM
Click here to send Jesse an email.
Being gay and Latino has challenges all its own. The traditional male and female roles of the Latino community make it tough for gay men and women to feel welcome. Plus they may experience social isolation, discrimination and hostility.
Jesse hopes to break stereotypes on his New Mexico college campus by running as the first openly gay student government candidate.
